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Lord Natraja Nataraja (Lord of the Dance),  the Hindu god Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer, is represented in metal or stone in many Shaivite temples, particularly in South India. It is an important piece of  Chola sculpture. Some of the features of the Nataraja sculpture are: The upper right-hand holds the drum, which signifies the  sound of creation.  All creations spring from the great sound of the damru. The upper left-hand holds the eternal fire, which represents the  destruction.  Destruction is the precursor and inevitable counterpart of creation. The lower right hand is raised in the gesture of  Abhay mudra  signifying  benediction and reassuring the devotee to not be afraid. The lower left-hand points towards the upraised foot and indicates the  path of salvation. Shiva is dancing on the figure of a  small dwarf.  The dwarf symbolises  ignorance and the ego of an individual. The matted and flowing locks of S...

Q2. Explain the different types of corals. Also explain the challenges and threats faced by corals.   Ans: Coral reefs are the underwater colonies of tiny living creatures that are formed of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate & are usually found in shallow waters .                                             Fig: Types of Coral Reefs Types : ●       Fringing Reef : It is a coral line platform lying close to the shore extending outwards from the mainland . E.g. South Florida Reef, Andaman and Nicobar group islands. ●       Barrier Reef : Considered as largest of all the reefs, they develop off the coast and parallel to the shore as a broken and irregular ring . E.g. Great Barrier Reef of Australia, Mannar Barrier Reef. ●       Atoll : It can be defined as a reef that is ...

Q. The vagaries of Indian monsoon are not only a product of meteorological factors but also anthropogenic causes. Illustrate.   Ans : Monsoons are seasonal winds (Rhythmic wind movements, Periodic Winds) which reverse their direction with the change of season. 60% of Indian agriculture remains rain-fed , and agriculture employs about half of India’s population . Thus, Indian economy is dependent on the monsoon to a large extent .                                         Fig-1:- INDIAN MONSOON There are many meteorological/natural factors affecting Indian monsoon: ●       The shift of the position of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) ●       The differential heating and cooling of land and water ●       The presence of the high-pressure area, east of Madagascar ●    ...

Maratha Administration The Asthapradhan Peshwa or the Chief Minister - He looked after general administration. Amatya or Majumdar - Accountant general, he later became revenue and finance minister. Sachiv or Surunavis - Also called Chitnis; he looked after the Royal correspondence. Sumant or Dabir - Foreign affairs and the master of Royal ceremonies. Senapati or Sari-i-Naubat - Military commander. He looked after the recruitment, training and discipline of army. Mantri or WaqiaNavis -Personal safety of the king, he looked after the intelligence, post and household affairs. Nyayadhish- Administration of Justice Punditrao - Looking after charitable and religious affairs of the state. He worked for the moral upliftment of the people. Central Administration It was founded by Shivaji for the sound system of administration which was greatly inspired from the Deccan style of administration. Most of the administrative reforms were inspired from Malik Amber reforms...

                  Targeted Public distribution system (PDS)   The  Targeted Public distribution system (PDS) is an Indian  food Security System  established  under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution. In June, 1997, the Government of India launched the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) with a focus on the poor. Under TPDS, beneficiaries were divided into two categories: Households below the poverty line or BPL; and Households above the poverty line or APL. In order to make TPDS more focused and targeted towards this category of population, the "Antyodaya Anna Yojana” (AAY) was launched in December, 2000 for one crore poorest of the poor families.  National Food Security Act, 2013  relies largely on the existing TPDS to deliver food grains as legal entitlements to poor households. This marks a shift by making the right to food a justiciable righ...

Digambara school of Jainism Monks of this sect believe in complete nudity. Male monks do not wear clothes while female monks wear unstitched plain white sarees. Follow all five vows (Satya, Ahimsa, Asteya, Aparigraha and Brahmacharya). Digambaras believe that women cannot achieve liberation without first being reborn as a man. This is because: women cannot live a truly ascetic life, because they have to possess clothes since it is impractical for them to live naked women are intrinsically harmful Thats why Digambara images of every Tirthankara are always male, naked, without ornaments, and with downcast eyes Jain sects Jains are divided into two major sects; Digambara (meaning sky clad) sect and  Svetambara (meaning white clad) sect.  Each of these sects is also divided into subgroups. The two sects agree on the basics of Jainism, but disagree on: details of the life of Mahavira the spiritual status of women whether monks should wear clothe...

Ramanuja In the year 1017 A.D., Ramanuja was born in the village of Perumbudur, about twenty-five miles west of Madras. Ramanuja’s Tamil name was Ilaya Perumal.  Quite early in life, Ramanuja lost his father.  Then he came to Kancheepuram to prosecute his study of the Vedas under one Yadavaprakasha, a teacher of Advaita philosophy. He wrote his commentary on the Brahma Sutras known as the Sri Bhashya.  The Visishtadvaita system is an ancient one. It was expounded by Bodhayana in his Vritti, written about 400 B.C. Ramanuja travelled throughout the length and breadth of India to disseminate the path of devotion.  He visited all the sacred places throughout India including Kashi, Kashmir and Badrinath. Ramananda He was born at Allahabad. Initially he was a follower of Ramanuja. Later he founded his own sect and preached his principles in Hindi at Banaras and Agra. Ramananda was the first to employ the vernacular medium to spread his ideas. He opp...